This is Life
by cloloveswah
Summary: A New Year Bank Hol one shot :  Title kinda explains it in a way.


**Hey guys :) Hope you've all had a great new year :D **

It was the bank holiday after New Years Day; the perfect excuse for doing absolutely nothing, staying in bed all day or if you were strong enough to get yourself up, to sit in front of the television watching all the cheesy festive movies that without any opposition plagued every channel available to man. Anyway, that's what you do isn't it? He laughed to himself, yes, it was what you did if you weren't called Danny Trevanion. His day looked quite different to that dreamy scenario. He had an animal hospital full of sick, injured, needy animals to take care of (although thankfully no appointments - Alice just wouldn't have it), guests to take out in game drives and other such activities they paid good money to partake in and of course, he had his family. He sighed with content as he did think of them... They were perfect in each and every way.

He glanced down at his sleeping wife. Her head was buried deep into his chest, her arm flopped lazily over him, her legs were wrapped around one of his, seemingly disallowing him to escape. Her dark, silky hair cascaded over his arm as she pulled herself closer to him, a contented breath escaping her lips as she found an all new comfortable position upon his chest. Her lips were parted slightly, as inviting as they always had been. They were soft, sensitive, succulent. Her closed eyelids were hiding the greatest treasure though... Those beautiful, beautiful, blue eyes. They were deep, a complex of emotion and a passage through to her heart, they were like a book, a book written in a foreign language, a language that if understood could tell Alice's story, Alice's feelings, thoughts and inner emotions could all be found in those endless blue pools.

As he watched his wife in such a peaceful state, Danny couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be and not one part of him wanted to leave her, however he knew that he had to, the animals needed him and Alice would quite possibly lynch him if she found out he was late and his excuse was he was watching her sleep; he'd thought that was quite a charming excuse a few months ago until Alice had set off on a one woman lecture on how that was not a good excuse and how he had responsibilities to the animals. Of course, the minute he'd argued she'd probably done it too she had no smart reply, but she also had him wrapped around her little finger and thought nothing of telling him how she was allowed because she could multitask and get changed whilst watching him. He shook his head at the memory before slowly beginning to untangle himself from her web.

"Danny..." She grumbled pulling him back to her, he chuckled and kissed her forehead gently.

"Animals sweetheart... Want me to do a bottle for Daniel on my way back? Be about due then..." Danny asked her softly as she let him go,

"Yeh you can do... Give your wife a lie in..." Alice crooned, opening her sleep-glazed eyes, she smiled at him lethargically before reaching up and pulling his face down to hers, kissing him softly before once again closing her eyes and losing herself in her quilt.

"See you at breakfast..." Danny whispered before beginning to change into his more suitable work wear.

(x)

Alice sighed softly as she trailed her finger down her son's cheek with a feather light touch. He was so perfect. Even as he slept it was painfully obvious just how much he resembled his father. He was a big baby, something he could only have inherited from Danny, he had Danny's face too but the lips and jaw... She'd happily admit that they were all hers. Though his eyes, she smiled, even with them hidden by his soft, baby eyelids she could picture them perfectly. She had awoken and gazed into an identical set of beautiful orbs for many years now. Yes, she thought to herself with a soft smile, he looked every bit the picture of Danny... The spitting image as they say.

"Wonder if you'll be taller than Daddy?" Alice asked him in a gentle tone, she smiled once more as she noticed his shuffling, "Waking up right on cue eh Daniel?" Alice chuckled glancing at the clock that read 8am. It appeared that 8am had become his staple get up time, regardless of whether he slept through of woke up every hour, on the hour. Alice feeling her maternal love grow even more than she believed possible picked him up as his eyes opened, his arms outstretched, his hands immediately grabbed at her checked shirt she'd chosen to wear. She had to work today unfortunately and so Daniel was going the spending the day with Grandma Caroline. Alice kissed her son gently upon his cheek, she'd looked after him since the day he was born and now at 4 months old she was finally going to be placing him into the trust of Caroline. She sighed and carried him through to the kitchen, she was going to miss this little man today.

As she walked through she noticed Danny stood making a bottle, he was chatting away to Rosie about elephants as he did so. Rosie smiled at Alice who shot her an energetic smile back. Rosie would usually have gone and fussed over Daniel but it appeared his big sister had her hands quite full preparing her own milk solution.

"Ah, my little man is awake!" Danny beamed as he carried he bottle over, "You gonna drink all this up? If you do you'll be big and strong like Daddy!" Danny beamed, flexing his arm for effect, Daniel let out a small laugh. Danny was always making him laugh and the little boys first laugh had been a result of Danny's antics. Alice had always known he was a good father but she'd had no idea how good until now. She felt an overwhelming amount of love for him, she was so incredibly lucky.

"Does Daddy want to feed him?" Alice asked looking up at Danny who nodded, Alice beamed, handing their son over. Danny immediately began to coo over him and gently sat down on one of the chairs as Alice set off picking herself and Danny some bits from the breakfast that was left. "Coffee?" She asked Danny who simply nodded.

(x)

Alice was deep in thought as she pulled the Jeep to a halt near a giraffe. She could hear Danny explaining to them all about the giraffe... She then heard special and storm. She turned, taking true notice off the animal she had stopped to allow the guests to look at, before grinning widely. The animal looked straight at her before bowing his head. Alice grinned widely, she felt so much love for that animal. Without him she doubt she'd even be here, she certainly wouldn't be married and she defiantly would not have a baby boy. She tilted her own head before involving herself in the conversation.

"He's Alice's giraffe..." Danny smiled softly turning to his wife, "He saved my life... He got us together in a way."

"Hamley boy..." Alice smiled softly, the giraffe looked up and began to make his way over, the guests squirmed slightly but the two vets soon put them at ease, "Hey boy..." Alice grinned as he reached them, lowering his head down to her hand she was holding out for him. The guests gasped in amazement, how could a wild animal trust these two people so much, how could he be so inquisitive.

"I know I said I wanted to see the beauty of nature close up but I never imagined this close, he is gorgeous..." A woman said, extending her hand, giggling slightly at Hamley licked it.

"This place is full of surprises..." Danny murmured, "Even living here, you've never seen it all."

Alice nodded smiling, she hadn't seen her giraffe in a long time. In all honesty she missed him a little. Usually they bumped into each other when she was out in the bush, but with England, the court case, the baby, her not working as much, they hadn't seen each other in a while. As he allowed the guests to gush over him Alice's mind was transported back to the day she and Danny got together. She sighed, that seemed _very _long time ago, especially with all that had happened. She noticed the animal looking a her expectantly.

"I think Hamley is off..." Danny laughed, "Not without saying goodbye to his best friend..."

Alice rolled her eyes before running her small hand down the front of his face, her hand stopped just above his nostrils, a comfortable place for a human hand to halt to feel the power of an animal beneath it. It was days like this she realised just how glad she was she wasn't in a city. Dogs, cats, they didn't give you this. A horse could in a way she supposed, they too had that comfortable place for the hand to stop, but nothing could take away the magic of doing this with a wild giraffe.

"Go on boy..." Alice said softly... "Off you go..."

With the instruction, the animal turned away, slowly pacing his way across the terrain. His lateral moving legs covering the ground gracefully as he disappeared to the trees where his mate no doubt was stood. Danny and Alice sat for a few moments watching after him before turning to face one another, catching one another's eyes with an energetic smile, before turning back to their job. The guests hadn't missed it though, there was no denying how in love the two vets were or how much that animal meant to them.

"Can we go back now?" The woman asked in a distinctive Irish accent, "That was enough... Nothing could outdo that."

Danny and Alice smiled nodding, before Alice swung the Jeep to the left, taking them the route home. Home... Thanks to Hamley.

(X)

It was sometime later when all of the animals were done, all of he guests were satisfied and Danny and Alice were finished and reunited with Daniel who was currently rested in Alice's arms, clutching Danny's finger tightly. The guests were in fact up having a BBQ with the family but they were all entrusted to Nomsa and Caroline! Danny and Alice were having nothing more to do with anything but their family.

"It was nice seeing Hamley today... Brought back some good memories." Danny smiled, his eyes telling Alice unspoken as to what memories he was referring to. She smirked slightly before nodding.

"Wonder where we'd be?" Alice sighed, "In a way I owe him _my_ life." She looked to Danny, she rested Daniel safely in one arm before extending one hand to touch the scar that her Husband had gained from the storm. "He saved _your_ life... I don't think I'd have had life without you... Then he brought us together..." She nodded surely, glancing down at her son, around her at her family and then back to her Husband, "Yep... My life."

Danny wiped away a tear from his eye before leaning forward and cupping her face in one of his hands, she leant into his touch, closing her eyes. Their heads bowed together, foreheads touching.

"I love you Alice Trevanion... More than you'll ever know." Danny whispered, "You're everything..." His voice broke off as emotion choked him. An encounter with Hamley or a trip to the copy always made the pair nostalgic.

Alice didn't reply but caught his lips with hers, kissing him with deepness, passion and longing. They hopelessly in love, hopelessly devoted, there was no way out... This was life.


End file.
